we all remember douglas frazier and roger brooks, the wonderful drivers. they would be horrified. but the point is the saipe. that friendship made governing possible. they did not question each other's motives for their commitment to the country. underlying those across the aisle and across the dome, congressional friendship was the relationships among the wives. . .mrs. ford plays all those roles. cub scouts and den mother's seem weak until you have tried it. [laughter] she was a leader in the congressional prayer group and yet her official title as it was for most political wives was a housewife. it was a title she shared with many american women and it gave her a great understanding about what women's lives were like. she said once,"being a good housewife seems to be a much tougher job than going to the office and getting paid for it." she was giving words to the dirty little secret that men always knew. over the years, she spoke out more forcefully for women's rights. she strongly defended the housewife's role. no wonder women all over the country have spent this past weekend